Preaching Activities for the month of September 2020

 September 2 (Midweek Bible Study)

We are back to having our midweek bible study again in the house of brother Rody and we studied Acts 19. We are back on the level of lockdown that we call GCQ (Enhance community Quarantine). All above 60 and below 20 are not allowed to go out. Sickly, pregnant and PWD are also not allowed to go out that's why we are not allowed to gather on church on Wednesday evening. Public vehicles are also few and it will be hard for many of our brethren to come especially because it is night time. The last week of August, we are at MECQ (Modified Enhance Community Quarantine) that only allowed one individual to go out of their house to buy basic necessities and because of that, I am not allowed to go to Palca and Dagupan and pass the checkpoints.

September 6 (Sunday worships)

Any lockdown won't stop us from having our worship here in Tuguegarao. We continue to have our live streaming on facebook using the page of Metro Tuguegarao Church of Christ. Brother Rody was the one scheduled to preach the sermon and he shared about "Paul's Prison Epistles.

In the afternoon, after not having our worship because of the MECQ, we are happy to be together again. No more checkpoints on my way to Palca and Dagupan. I preached in both places about "The choices we make". Many of our brethren at Palca did not come because of the current situation on the area and the protocols that we need to follow. But in Dagupan, we continue to have the same number of attendance because the situation there is better.

September 9 (Midweek bible study)

We continue to have our midweek bible study at the house of brother Rody. Together with our whole family, we studied Acts 20. We included in our prayers all those brethren whom have a family member that died and also many are sick and have the covid-19 here in the Philippines. 

September 7-12 (Work in the chapel)

For the whole week, we've been working in our chapel, fixing many things because we weren't able to move freely the previous months. As the time of publishing this blog (October 1), we have a scheduled meeting with all the men of the congregation on Saturday (October 3) for the possible plans we will make during this time of pandemic. This pandemic might take longer and so we will plan what ways we needed to do to help edify our brethren.

September 13 (Sunday worships)

In our worship here at Metro Tuguegarao, many of our brethren still cannot come. Three villages in our town is on total lockdown and one of it is Linao East. Four families that are our brethren are from that area. Brother Jerome preached the sermon and he shared about "Recharging your spiritual passion".

In the afternoon at Palca,brother Jun Gumpad came to me and asked me if he can come join in the preaching. We divided our work in the two places where I am preaching. He preached the sermon in Palca and I preached in Dagupan. We have an attendance of 32 in Palca and 16 in Dagupan.

September 14 (Bible study)

I have a bible study with our sister in Hongkong. It is through facebook messenger and by an audio call. I cannot do video call because of the slow internet connection. They are also currently in a lockdown. Sister Charlene is a faithful member of the church in Palca and is currently working as a domestic helper in Hongkong. I shared some edifying verses to her to strengthen her faith. They cannot go out and have their worship in the city area right now and I hope that the call I made gave her spiritual strength.

September 16 (Midweek bible study)

We again had our midweek bible study at brother Rody's house. We do not know how long we are going to do this in their house because the number of cases of covid is rapidly increasing in our town. We studied Acts 21.

September 17 (Bible study)

This time, I made a group chat that includes three young individual in Palca and Dagupan (Geraldine, Gaile and JM). I am sharing to them the basic concepts of the church and salvation. Geralding is the only one among them who experience bible learning through my wife in their children's class while the other two are just new. They just joined us about three weeks ago in Dagupan. Until now (October 1), I am still teaching them about the bible. I am praying that one of this days, they will also obey the gospel. They are asking me bibles but unfortunately, I do not have any available right now.

September 20 (Sunday worships)

Our worship in Tuguegarao's attendance is getting low lately because of the current situation of our town. Many are hesitant to get out of their houses. On this day, five villages are already in total lockdown and three more are on process of having it. We continue to have our fellowship with all those who came and thank God that no one from our brethren from Tuguegarao, Palca and Dagupan have the covid. Brother Rody preached about "What Jesus said abour prayer?"

In the afternoon, at Palca, I preached about "The new normal". It is not about the covid situation but having a new normal in our life as a christian. I also preached the same lesson in Dagupan. We have on visitor there and she is the one with the purple clothes on the right side of the picture(3rd picture below) beside our sister with the blue shirt and with glasses.(I forgot her name). She is a catholic and is interested in the study. She also joined us the next week. Please help me pray that through my preaching efforts, God will touch her heart and soon be one of our faithful brethren. 

September 21 (Bible study)

We went to the house of brother Randy Viernes. They invited us to have a bible study in their house and also pray for their daughter Nicol who just celebrated her birthday September 20. Sorry for my mask, my sibling just gave it to me and I do not have anything to use at that time.

September 22 (Bible Study)

We also went to have the bible study at the house of brother Lino Darauay. It is a bit scary because the next village from their area have a few cases of covid and the number of people who joined us is a bit much. It is also the birthday of brother Lino and we joined together to pray for him.

September 23 (Midweek bible study)

Our bible study remains to be very important to us especially to help our children learn more about the bible. It is not only because it is scheduled but because we needed spiritual strength to battle Satan everyday. We studied this time Acts 22.

September 27 (Sunday worships)

Our attendance in Tuguegarao went low with just 49. Many areas of the town are closed with barricades right now. In just a 6 days, our town will look like a ghost time once again. Our City Mayor already announced of the MECQ, or a total lockdown in the whole town. Our worship continues with the sermon preached by brother Jay about "Why there is an empty seat in the church?".

In the afternoon, brother Jay also joined me in the work. He preached in Palca the same lesson and I preached in Dagupan about "Color Discrimination". The next two weeks, we will not have the physical worship in both areas because I cannot get out of our town because of the lockdown but I will make a way for them to hear the words of God. I will record a video and send it to our group chat.

We will not have the live streaming also on Sunday (October 4) because it was announced that the whole town will have no electricity. We will make a way to serve our brethren.

Preaching activities for the month of August 2020

 August 2 (Sunday Worships) 

As we continue to have our worships despite of the pandemic, our attendances are always from 50 to 60 including the children every Sunday at Metro Tuguegarao without any visitors. In the first Sunday of the month, brother Jay led us in the sermon and he preached about “Departing from God”. During this time, only a few cases of infections around town is active until the half of the month wherein almost everyday, 2 or more is added. As we follow all the protocols of the lockdown, we needed to wear face mask, face shields, physical distancing and presence of alcohol always in the building. 

In the afternoon, I am happy that I can still go to Palca and Dagupan without any hindrances. We had a total attendance of 30 in Palca with one visitor (Mr. Victor Soriano), the fiance of sister Jonalyn Llanes. He is from Enrile and is very willing to join us in worship every time he is in Palca. I preached to them about "Human Philosophies in Religion".

After the worship at Palca, I went to Dagupan as last destination for the day. I also preached to them the same lesson. After the sermon, I opened the invitation and I am happy that three precious souls obeyed the gospel. Jhian Carlo (a student of my wife in their children's class), Henry (friend of Jhian), and Jesusa (cousin of brother Enzo). They've been with us since the first time we had the worship at Dagupan. I brought them in Palca because that is where the baptistery is. I am happy because the three of them are actively helping in the work in that area. The two young man are already leading our prayers during communion and I had given them copies of the songs we sing in the church by mp3 for them to practice. I am hearing good comments about the two. Little by little, I will be teaching them with God's help and someday, they will also stand in the pulpit and preach.

August 3-8 (studies)

During the course of the week, not one day that I failed to have studies with Jhian and Henry. We are having the study by just chatting on facebook. That's is the only way we can have it because we all have poor internets. Video or audio calls will not work. I am happy for their interest to learn more.

August 5 (Bible Study)

We had our bible study here in our house because we are still not allowed to have it in the chapel due to the protocols of the lockdown. We choose to have it in our house because it is also my wife's 35th birthday. We studied Acts 16. We had a little celebration and thankfully there are friends and relatives who gave us foods that we shared.

August 9 (Sunday worships)

We thank God for another opportunity to be together again with the saints in worship. It is still difficult to other brethren to come because public vehicles, especially on Sunday's are few. Some of our brethren who cannot come are those aging 60 and above. Brother Rody is the one who preached this time and he shared about Elements of Prayer.

In the afternoon, I am happy that I can help the brethren who are far from the chapel come by picking them up in their house. Before lockdown, it's only four of them, but now, their are 9 of them and I needed to get the five first then the others on the second trip. The reason why I am sacrificing to do this because they have no means of travel but by foot and it is far from the chapel. Second is that, there are no(zero), public transport in the area. I heard from a sister that they know I will always be picking them up at 1:00p.m. but 11:00a.m. they are already waiting for me outside of their house. And so, in Palca, I preached to them "Lessons from the Rich Fool". We had an attendance of 35 during that time. 

In Dagupan, we had an attendance of 11. I also preached to them the same lesson. Sorry because I only took a few photos because my phones battery got empty.

August 10-15 (Studies)

To continue my work as a preacher, I set studies by just chatting, text messages or phone calls with our brethren at Palca and Dagupan. August 11, I had a bible study with sister Carrie Puselero. She is from Dagupan but are in Baggao right now. They wanted to go home but unfortunately, they cannot get any health certificate in their town because they have a 1 year old baby with them which is not allowed to travel. I encourage them to remain faithful and trusting God always by using the scriptures. 

During the week, I also have good communications with two of the wife's student in their Sunday Class, Emily and Nathan (Tantan). They are asking about baptism. At first, they ask me the question, "When are they allowed to be baptized?", and I answered them with series of examples in the bible especially the conversions on the book of Acts. Sometimes, I am receiving messages from them past midnight but I only read them early morning and answered them right away.

August 12 (Bible Study)

In our midweek bible study, we are in the house of brother Jerome. We studied Acts 17. We are thankful that we can still do this despite many hindrances around us.

August 16 (Sunday worships)

In our worship here at Metro Tuguegarao, we continue to have our attendance at 50's. Brother Jun preached to us in the sermon about "He became frightened?, about the situation of Felix. We still have our live streaming on facebook. 

In Palca, brother Jay joined me because he cannot go to his congregation at Minagbag. They have a total lockdown in that area and it is already outside our region. He help me with the work and he preached in Palca about "Who are the religious liars?". We again have 35 attendance. 

In Dagupan, it was my turn to preach. We have three visitors and we had 19 attendance. I preached to them about "There was no more sea" in the book of Revelation. More about the life in heaven. 

August 17-22 (Bible studies)

I continue to have good studies with Jhian, Henry, Tantan and Emily. Other than that, I have also bible study with sister Emy Rivard. They are just close to the chapel in Palca but she is afraid to go out of their house. Even when she needed to buy her necessities, she is calling her uncle to buy it for them. I cannot blame her because this pandemic is getting worst instead of getting better. I shared to them edifying words from the book of Colossians chapter 3. I also had study with brother Joey Puselero. He is in Marikina (12 hours travel from here) and is working in that area. It's my first time communicating with him and he is asking me of churches near the area. We found one for him to join but I also shared to him words of wisdom from the scriptures that he should stay strong because he is alone and there and his family is in Dagupan.

August 19 (Bible study)

For the first time since March, we had our midweek bible study at the chapel. We still continued with our study on the book of Acts and we are already on the 18th chapter. Brother Rody led is in the study.

August 23 (Sunday worships)

Before having the lockdown tighten here in our town, we still have the chance to gather with the saints. We still have the attendance at around 50. Brother Rody preached about "Positions to pray". 

In Palca, brother Jay joined me again, but this time, we schedules ourselves to preach in opposite locations. I preached at Palca about "There was no more sea". They saw my post in facebook about that lesson and they asked me if I can also share it to them. It was this time that we are almost full in the building. I didn't even have any  seat until brother Jay stand to lead the singing. We had a total of 41 attendance and some of the brethren are not even there because they are here in Tuguegarao and others are in their homes because of the current protocols. When the situation is back to normal, we can move the seats back to its proper positions, and brethren at Dagupan will join us, I do not know if the building can still accomodate us, but that is the kind of problem that I wanted, because it is showing the growth of the church. After the sermon, brother Jay led our invitation song. We are very happy for the decision of Emily and Nathan to obey the gospel. We needed to baptized them immediately because we are already late for the next preaching. When we got home, they are messaging me of how thankful they are for all the studies that they learned about the importance of obedience to our God. 

In Dagupan, it was brother Jay's turn to preach. We also had a good attendance of 14. We are also growing in number in that area. Four of the brethren there are not in attendance because they went to their families in other towns.

August 24 (Bible study)

Communications with brethren continued for the week but I only have this day as what I can say a formal bible study. I have studied with sister Lhea who is working in abroad. She is still struggling because currently, she have no work, that means her savings are spent. I encourage her again with bible examples of trials and how they won the trials. Please pray for all our brethren here who are working in other countries. 

August 26 (Midweek bible study)

After one Wednesday of having the bible study at the chapel, we are again back to the house of brother Rody. The lockdown protocol is tightened because the cases of Covid here in our town is rapidly increasing. Everyone is not allowed to go out once again except if it is for our necessities. This is only here in our town, but the problem is, we are also not allowed to go out of our town. That means, I cannot go to Palca and Dagupan. This will only last until September 4. Lord willing, I can go again and preach on September 6. We studied Acts 18 in our midweek bible study.

August 30 (Sunday Worship)

Because of the current protocol on the lockdown, we are down to 20 in our attendance here in Tuguegarao. I am happy to be the one sharing the lesson and I preached about "New Normal". It is not about the covid but it is about the changes we need to to or adapt to be always right with God. I shared the live streaming to our brethren at Palca and Dagupan so that in a small way, they can also be part of the worship.